LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rachel Crow was a tearful runner-up on “The X Factor,” but she’s a winner now.
The 14-year-old singer has signed a series deal with the Nickelodeon channel and a recording contract with Sony’s Columbia Records-Syco.
Nickelodeon said Wednesday its agreement with Crow includes development of a comedy series for the teenager. She’ll also have a recurring role in Nickelodeon’s new program, “Fred: The Show.”
Crow’s recording deal puts her in business with “X Factor” creator Simon Cowell’s Syco enterprise.
The big-voiced teenager made a dramatic exit from “X Factor” last December: Crow collapsed onstage after she was voted off by viewers.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix’s Internet video service is adding more marquee attractions as it braces for a new competitive threat from cable-TV provider Comcast Corp.
As part of an effort to offer more exclusive material, Netflix locked up the right to show “The Artist” and other movies from The Weinstein Co. before the films are released to leading pay-TV channels such as Showtime and HBO.
Just a few hours after Tuesday’s announcement about that multiyear deal, Comcast unveiled plans to undercut Netflix with a less expensive version of a service that will stream old TV series and movies to devices with high-speed Internet connections.

Los Alamos seventh graders have read it and some fifth graders are currently reading it, but the truth is, nearly everyone can find some meaning in Lois Lowry’s “The Giver.” A 1994 Newberry Medal winner, “The Giver” offers a lot of thought on how people conduct their lives and what it means to achieve true happiness.
“The Giver” was adapted into a play for the Oregon Children’s Theatre in 2006. Los Alamos Little Theatre’s version opens at 7:30 p.m. March 2 and includes performances from Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos Middle School, Aspen, Mountain, Barranca and Chamisa Elementary School students.

The show, “Beauty in the Beast” caught the attention of more artists than any other at the Fuller Lodge Art Center. The new exhibit, with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, will feature the work of 57 artists from near and far, with everything from watercolor to bronze to taxidermy.

ALBUQUERQUE – The Department of Game and Fish needs help finding the person or persons who illegally shot five antelope on Feb. 10 on the King Ranch close to the Zia Pueblo.
The antelope, two headless bucks and three does were found shot with a centerfire rifle and left in a pile to rot.
“It appears that someone cut the fence, drove onto the ranch, shot the antelope, and cut off the heads,” said Shawn Carrell, District Officer for the Albuquerque area.
There was no legal hunt occurring during this time, so the intent by the individual or individuals responsible for this crime is still under investigation.

Here are the final Class 4A boys and girls basketball coaches’ polls for the 2011-12 season. Polls are conducted by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. First-place votes are in parentheses.

Tonight’s District 2-4A semifinal boys basketball game could be a war and the Los Alamos Hilltoppers have their trenches all ready.
Los Alamos will take on the Bernalillo Spartans tonight for the right to advance to the district tournament championship game. Tip-off time is 7 p.m. in Bernalillo.
Tonight’s game will be the third meeting of the season between the two teams. Bernalillo has prevailed in both meetings, but Los Alamos had chances in both to pull off upsets.
Whether Los Alamos (11-16 overall, 4-5 in 2-4A) can pull of the upset, as well as build on the momentum it captured following a big win over Española Valley Tuesday night, remains to be seen.